This invention relates to a liquid atomizer and more particularly to a liquid atomizer of the kind structured such that a plurality of ampoules each containing a prescribed quantity of liquid medicament or the like can be mounted to a main device.
For a liquid atomizer of the kind for treating a patient by causing the patient to breathe in an atomized liquid medicament, it is important to accurately measure up and administer the prescribed quantity of medicament for each time of use. For this purpose, the patient himself/herself is often required to fill specified containers each with a specified quantity of the medicament. The work of thus preparing individual doses of medicament is a very cumbersome task, and the likelihood of an error that may be committed by the user must not be ignored. Liquid atomizers for such a purpose, furthermore, must be easily portable such that a treatment can be started immediately when, for example, the user experiences a sudden fit while being out of the house.
In view of the above, Japanese Patent Publication Tokuhyo 8-502689 disclosed a device adapted to make the work of the user easier by allowing ampoules preliminarily filled with a specified amount of medicament to be set on a liquid atomizer at the time of the use such that an accurately measured quantity of medicament can be administered.
A device thus structured, however, is not easily portable because the ampoules containing a liquid medicament are adapted to be delivered along a straight line and the area for containing these ampoules becomes large.